Mekong II

Since we loved the spicy foods, we wanted to try the very spicy food.
We ordered «thai hot» which is the most spicy level you can order. They made it so spicy and our mouth was on fire but that’s what we wanted! And even though the chili was so spicy the taste still so good!
The service was so so. I guess we stayed too long so the server or owner wanted us to leave… That’s why???

Definitely not the best Thai food around. The spring rolls were strangely chewy and not crispy like they should’ve been (plus they trick you by saying 6 pieces when it’s really like 3 pieces, cut in two) and the lettuce they gave us looked like it had seen fresher days. The crispy calamari was bland and the dry pad thai had a weird crust around the noodles. The curries and papaya salad were tasty, though nothing you can’t get elsewhere for cheaper.
I think the gross factor skewed my opinion a little because the first table we were going to sit at had this brown/​black stuff that honestly looked like bird doodoo. It didn’t help that you could hear the birds squawking in the air conditioning vent. We settled into a table against the wall and mid-​way through the meal, a baby cockroach came out to cruise. Good thing I’m not too squeamish about those kine things since it definitely would’ve freaked out the other customers.
The service was nice — our waiter was really diligent with the water which I always appreciate but I don’t think I would come back.

The food was okay, ordered a variety of dishes whose flavors kind of melded together into one flavor at the end.
Spring Rolls: Tasty but were not as crispy as I would like. It’s as if they were sitting out for a while but they were pretty warm. 1 order has 3 fat rolls which they cut in half, so you eat a fat chunk of a roll.
Papaya Salad: Great crunch and good subtle flavor, executed perfectly.
Evil Jungle Prince dish with Beef: This was my favorite, I love the flavors, but the beef cuts were slightly chewey so you know it was either not good cuts of meat or just older meat. I would order this again, but with chicken.
Thai Noodles with Shrimp: Tasted okay, I like the consistency of the noodles but the flavors did not impress.
Green Beans with Chicken: Didn’t care for this dish, flavors were so-​so.
Eggplant with Chicken: My least favorite. At the end of the meal, this was the one dish that had the most left on it. The eggplant was not cooked enough, it should have had a softer quality to them. The flavor wasn’t quite there and I would not order this again.
Entrees are about $ 10 – 12 and just feels overpriced for the quality. Service was decent, our table was at one end of the restaurant so the servers didn’t come by as often as we’d like, but they did okay. They were nice but not enthusiastic enough. Sunday dinner 6pm allowed us to find street parking closeby very easily. It will likely be at least another 5 years before I come back, and if I do it won’t be from my own volition.

This has been my favorite restaurant growing up and still is to this day. For every birthday and celebration. my vote is for Mekong II! It’s amazing how you can eat the same dishes for years and never get sick of it. Some other thai restaurants come close, but nothing ever compares to that which I grew up on. Here are the regulars: crispy chicken, yellow chicken curry, ungchoy with tofu, pad thai, garlic beef, and of course sticky rice. The sauces and flavors are all to die for! My mouth is watering as I type this… hopefully will be going back soon for my next fix!

Pad Thai — 5 stars
Green papaya salad — 5 stars
Fish patties — 5 stars
Service — 5 stars
This is one of Keo’s restaurant, the food and service are always great.

After reading all these reviews — I have to say — I am extremely disappointed with Mekong II … maybe it was an off day for the chef — I don’t know. I didn’t expect to have this experience.
We ordered Chicken Pad Thai and Evil Jungle Curry (vegetable). The meat and rice noodles were overcooked, the curry lacked flavor and the Pad Thai was bland. There was almost no spice whatsoever in the food. The Thai Iced Coffee was too sweet and the Thai Iced Tea was just ok.
The one thing I have to say is that the server was friendly.
Go to Siam Square if you are looking for good Thai.

Lets break this down…
5 Star for Service
3 Star for Food– It’s A-​OK.
1 Star for lack of Thai Chili and bringing Beer when we ordered Sticky Rice.

This is by far the best Thai food in Honolulu, simple as that.
It has recently become our family favorite. We are always welcomed graciously, which is more than can be said at several of Mekong’s nearby competitors.
We often have the green curry, Thai hot, Tom Yum soup, and spring rolls. There is always enough for lunch the next day.
Their food is clean and delicious. Some other Thai restaraunts use lots of oil in place of quality coconut millk; not here, and the flavors are excellent.
I always seem to bump into family and friends here. Mekong is a gem.

Ok, so this evening we dined at Mekong II. I used to go to Mekong on Beretania and was told this was there new location. Well I was disappointed, not the same restaurant. We started off with the summer rolls and green Papaya salad, both were very good. Then 25 min later our medium Beef Evil Jungle Prince and medium Chicken Panang Curry came out. The curry was all pea’s and carrots and hardly any chicken and very bland, the EJP was a little better but also somewhat bland. The ambiance and service was good, as was the green Papaya salad, but unfortunately that didn’t make up for the bland main courses. Were trying Pae Thai up the street on King next time.
Aloha,

We have been craving thai food for weeks now & finally got a chance to head over to Mekong for a spicy «thai hot» lunch !!
Ordered:
tofu panang
tofu satay
garlic shrimp
green papaya
evil jungle beef
fried calamari
jasmine rice
Everything was absolutely EXCELLENT !!! I
pros: great food, ample parking, clean bathroom, good service
cons: not open for lunch on weekends
* several small tables were taken with people ordering lunch specials — It seemed to be popular & the diners were in & out pretty quickly … I think the offerings were $ 7.95.

Mekong II is the counterpart to the Mekong Thai Restaurant that used to be on Beretania not too far from this location. It’s a smaller venue, but the menu selections seem to be the same. The décor however, is noticeably more dense and ethnic than the original Mekong. I really like how it sets the mood for Thai food. The quiet ambience and dim lighting is nice too, and right off the bat, I knew I would be able to enjoy my dinner in peace.
I came here for my mother’s birthday dinner (the original Mekong was her favorite). She was already seated with my dad by the time I arrived, but the server promptly came by to hand me a menu and offer me something to drink. I ordered the Thai Coffee, which I merrily sipped on as I decided what to have for dinner.
Having been so accustomed to the Thai and Vietnamese dual-​experience I always got at Fort Street Café, looking at the menu, I quickly realized my inability to distinguish Thai from Vietnamese. I was already intent on getting phở before I entered the restaurant, but as it turns out, phở is Vietnamese, and thus, not on the menu.
So to the server, I posed this silly question: What’s the closest thing to phở on the menu?
I wanted something just as light with a subtle flavor, so I had to ask. And as it turns out, they do have Phở as an off-​menu option. I was even asked how I wanted the beef, which I got medium. I was pretty excited, and not ten minutes after ordering, I got my food along with both my parents’.
The phở was like nothing I had ever seen or had before. The soup was red and tasted a little different. It’s hard to describe the subtle difference in flavor, but it felt like it had more umami or meatiness in the way it tasted. I’m still pretty partial to Fort Street Café’s Phở, but this variation was actually really good, enough that I’m still craving it now.
I really enjoyed the food, and so did my mom, which was more important. It’s sad that the original Mekong closed, but it looks like Mekong II is going to do just fine to fill that void. The service was impeccable, too. We had two servers attending to our needs, and they checked on us just enough times that they caught me at the exact moment I needed more of their Thai Coffee.
I’m so stoked that I currently live around the corner from this place, because I really want to try the other stuff that’s actually on their menu. At least the first impression was great, so decidedly, Mekong II gets five stars from me.

Finally got a chance to visit Mekong II this past valentines day. Having lived in the neighborhood for over 5 years, for some reason I never stopped by.
Parking-​It can be limited. The parking lot is located behind the restaurant. I would count about 10 – 12 stalls in total. I think usually you can easily find street parking especially after 7pm on the Washington Inter side of the King Street.
Atmosphere-It’s a rather small restaurant. I would think about enough seating to sit about 50 or so. The theme is a bit weird. I guess a Thailand inspired theme. Lots of paintings and a statue here and there. Also to note a couple of window air cons which can get a bit loud. Each table had a nice flower and vase along with a plate and untensils with a folded napkin.
Cost/​Portion-​Overall I think the cost was about average for a sit in Thai restaurant. Expect to pay about 8 – 10 $ per dish. Portion wise everything was good except for the Spring rolls we ordered. They only gave what amounts to 3 spring rolls for 8 $. Overall we ordered 2 apps and 2 main dishes and we took home enough to feed 1 person for lunch for the two of us.
Quality– When I try a new place out I like to try the staples of whatever cuisine I’m trying. We ordered the Ginger Chicken soup, Veg Spring rolls, Chicken pad Thai and Yellow chicken curry.
The Ginger chicken soup was just okay to me. Maybe it was because it wouldn’t be something I normally would order. I thought it was very sweet (due to the coconut milk) and it was filled with the chunks of chicken and topped with some parsley.
The Vegetarian Springs rolls was the one dish I thought could have been improved. It came with 3 spring rolls cut in half along with a couple pieces of lettuce, cucumber and mint along with a sauce. The sauce was pretty standard but the one different thing was the wrapping for the spring rolls. It wasn’t the normal type of wrapping you would find at other Thai places. It was chewier and thicker. Kind of turned me off to the dish.
The Pad Thai came out on a pretty big sized portioned. It had the usual chicken, tofu, bean sprouts and few more ingredients. Overall it was alright but not my best tasting pad thai ever. Something made it unremarkable. On a side note they have a container of crushed peanuts on the table which you can add to your noodles if you desire.
Lastly the chicken yellow curry was good. It was a bit more brown/​green then yellow but everything in it was cooked properly. One thing that stood out was how soft and tender the potatoes were in the dish. Definitely my favorite dish of the night.
Overall I like this place. I’ll probably go back sometime soon. Prices were right and no lines and fuss. Seems to me if you want a no hassle Thai meal for a big group (some restaurant like phuket aren’t good about that) then stop by.

Okay, now I’m pissed off after my botched Thai massage experience at Thai-​Issan (see review:
). So what better way to lift your spirits than some Thai grinds.
Stopped into Phuket Thai on Kamakee but the place was packed and we had no reservation. We opted for the bar area, however no two seats together and even after getting people to scoot down, it was still cramped. Grumpy and claustrophobic, I prompted we leave.
We headed to Pae Thai on King Street and the same situation. No available tables. A two-​top we were told was just about to leave, however after 15 minutes I couldn’t take it any longer and we left.
We called Mekong 2 and inquired about their wait. The girl chuckled at the end of the line, ‘there’s no wait sir’. We arrived to a practically empty restaurant with only another couple present. Good sign? Relieved and very hungry, we ordered Tofu satay; Panang Curry w/​chicken; and Beef Larb (salad).
The Tofu Satay was scrumptious fried pieces smothered in gooey peanut sauce goodness. A bit too temperature hot, but delicious.
The Beef Larb was exceptional! Nicely spiced with fresh herbs and superb flavor.
The Panang Curry was the weaker of the three dishes, but still okay. However, it came with peas which I didn’t think were a part of Thai cuisine.
Overall a pleasant experience without the crowds. Made me almost forget about my rip off massage just hours prior.

Anotha Thai food place :)
Finally got to try The evil jungle prince faye been talking bout since we met. Idk how to describe it but it was pretty good.
It’s meat (chicken, beef or pork) with veggies and a greenish brown curry sauce. Not a real curry though but the meat was generous and filling .
2^nd dish:
The pad Thai. # 1 on my list so far. Flavorful and the raw veggies are kept at a minimum. Especially the Chinese parsley Faye n I don’t like. Juicy, not too dry and they give a lot .
Lastly, sticky rice of course .
All in all a comfortable ambiance and seating areas with cool Thai statues and décor. Good, fast service.
We usually don’t order an appetizer because the entrees and sticky rice is filling enough.
Bound to try some Thai desserts one day when we don’t eat so much. :),
Tip: limited parking in the back of restaurant, like 5 to 6 stalls

Here’s the story:
So a lot of my high school friends are Thai and I’ve ate many a meal at their homes, one dish always stayed with me as my favorite. I never knew what it was called, because I took their generosity for granted.
Then; a few years after high school, I ate at the Beretania St Mekong with a few of my neighbors and my search was over… EVIL JUNGLE PRINCE!
OK — now I know what it’s called (at least in restaurants), so I feel better. Cut to my first Bangkok Chef experience with my new co-​workers: they want to order lunch from there, and I ask if they have Evil Jungle Prince. They totally laugh at me and are like «What the hell is that?!» Ummm… I guess it’s not known as Evil Jungle Prince everywhere!
So now the Beretania St Mekong is closed and I have no desire to go Waikiki (the owner is the same as Keo’s right? Or something like that) to get my beloved EJP, so I sit. And suffer. Until I remember there’s a Mekong II that I drive by almost every day! Duh! So we go there for dinner and I of course get the Green Curry with chicken. Nah! I get the EJP with beef and I’m getting all excited just waiting for it!
It comes, and I’m soo happy! I love it. All that basil and beef and whatever other yummy goodness they put in there are all dancing in my mouth and I’m a happy girl! My BF on the other hand, he didn’t really care for it! LOL
Service was pretty good, the girls are all nice and friendly. At least our waitress warned my BF about his 2^nd Diet Coke — they charge for every glass and didn’t surprise us at the end of the meal with the bill and 2 Diet Cokes! The restaurant was a little slow for prime Saturday night dinner time, but I kind of liked it that way! The pink cloth napkins caught me off guard (I don’t remember that at the original one), but I liked the setting there.

We lived in Hawaii in the 1990’s and frequented Mekong’s I often. We are back in Honolulu for a business trip and ordered the Mekong II «top items» (Evil Jungle Prince, Summer rolls, Tom Kai soup, etc.) as take out. By the time I got back to our hotel room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village 30-​minutes had transpired. Thinking the food would be cold, I apologized to my wife. Much to my surprise, the food was steaming (I mean that literally) hot and absolutely FANTASTIC.
We liked our takeout meal so much we are headed back to Mekong’s tonight.. .. our last night on Oahu.

I’ve been to Mekong II many times, and always left stuffed and satisfied. It’s a good place to take out as well, they’re never stingy with food.
My favorite dish is a GREEN CHICKEN CURRY! It tastes amazing, with sticky or brown rice!
I would also recommend a Lemon Grass Soup, Ginger Soup, and TAPIOCA! I’ve tried various tapiocas before but nothing can compare to Mekong’s one! It is A MUST :)
Parking in the back of the restaurant, very convenient.
Don’t order too many dishes since the plates come really big! Except if you like leftovers :)

I love mekong II!
one of the best places to get my thai food fix. I’ve tried their fried «calamari» (i’ll explain later), pad thai, yellow curry, panang curry and their sticky rice.
everything was delicious and tasted fresh. I especially like their pad thai because they cook it so that some noodles are crispy and others are soft. I love it. the perfect portions to share with someone else
the 2^nd time I went to mekong II, I ordered the fried calamari appetizer but the plate was filled with fried cuttlefish. has this only happened to me? the rest of the dinner made up for this mishap but come on, shouldn’t I get what I pay for?
the ambience in the room is eh interesting. the lighting is romantic and dim but I don’t understand the whole mix of pink and the paintings on the wall. the service is alright. I haven’t encountered anyone particularly friendly, but they’re cool. whatever, their food is good. try it now

This was my first visit to Mekong II — we’ve always gone to Mekong I on Beretania, but it turns out that they’re closed now! Not being willing to forgo the Thai food fix, we decided to scoot down the street.
We arrived about 20 minutes before the restaurant opened, but the staff was gracious enough to invite us inside early and get our drink order. The staff was very pleasant
We tried the Sateh Tofu, and I have to say, I think nobody does Sateh sauce as well as Mekong! Along with that we also got the Spring rolls, Green Chicken curry and sticky rice. Everything was great — in all honesty I think Mekong II is even better than Mekong I was — it seemed like the food at Mekong I had dropped off a bit in the last year or so.
I guess we’ll miss our BYOB Thai restaurant, but I’m happy that we can still get our Thai food fix in town when the traffic is bad!

I have mixed feelings about this place.
My former manager, a huge foodie, claims that this is THE best Thai restaurant on Oahu. I tried the food a few times and was impressed. So much in fact, that I complimented the chef and the wait staff and thanked them for an amazing meal. At one time, Mekong II was not per say, my favorite Oahu Thai restaurant, but it was close.
The interior is relatively small so it often gets packed at dinner time. The curries tend to be a bit salty but the evil jungle prince is excellent and I always enjoyed the beef salad. The service at dinner is great even when it’s crowded. No complaints. About dinnertime service, that is.
I made the mistake of going at lunch. Having come from surgery, I decided to treat myself. When I entered the restaurant, it was empty except for one occupied table. I sat down and ordered green curry with sticky rice. The green curry was salty and not particularly exciting. Half-​way through my meal, the occupants at the other table left and I was alone in the restaurant except for the waitress. She was very unfriendly and kept to herself in a chair next to the cash register. When my bill arrived, I looked at it and realized that she had over-​charged me. I could understand if the restaurant was busy or if I had ordered some obscure dish or numerous dishes, but to be the sole patron and be overcharged for a common, individual dish like green curry was not cool. I was not pleased and have not been back since.